I have been a journalist for the past 12 years, working as both a reporter and editor in that time. But I've been a gamer for much longer though and started mixing the two to do reviews, interviews, and feature articles on the industry.

I try to play as many games as my free time will allow and love to debate about everything gaming related. I'll also be doing the occasional tech articles, including cell phone reviews. Follow me on Twitter if you're looking for one more person to giggle at.

Electronic Arts has released some new concept art for Crysis 3 and announced a new video series called "The 7 Wonders of Crysis 3".

Those of you who share a childhood similar to myself will recognize the filmmaker chosen for this series. Albert Hughes was one of two brothers who wrote and directed the gritty, violent, and absolutely fabulous film Menace II Society. He obviously did more than that with his career, but I'll always be thankful to Hughes for the character O-Dog.

Hughes is on the books for the Crysis video series that EA said will feature the game's visuals, combat, enemies, and a few other things about the shooter. Crysis 3 is scheduled for a February 19 release date in North American and February 21 in Europe.

I stood in the middle of the Microsoft Store in Scottsdale getting a whirlwind tour of Windows 8 as a living platform meant for multiple devices.

There are the computers and tablets created specifically for the operating system. There is the Microsoft Surface tablet, the mobile phones, and the overall increased focus on a uniform experience.

It took about 45 minutes for me to realize what was going on. Microsoft isn't just trying to update the user experience by offering one of its many operative system upgrades.

The software giant is in the beginning stages of completely rebranding and reinventing itself by zeroing in on how and when people interact with the software.I just hope the company can sit still long enough to let the software spider its way through our lives.

First on my tour was a quick look at the operating system itself. Windows 8 is a complete reimagining of the Windows world.

You remember what Windows 95 did to Windows 3.1? This is something similar to that. It appears to be a shinier version of the same features and software but it's something much more.

Windows 8 uses tiles to organize your content and programs. You decide entirely how those tiles are organized and featured. The presentation is stylish, living, and really just fun to use.

Xbox Live users will recognize the interface immediately.

Current Windows users can download an upgrade for $39.99 or buy the DVD upgrade for $69.99.

After watching the software in action, I was asked to test drive different pieces of hardware that runs Windows 8.

Several device manufacturers have embraced the Windows 8 environment and its touch screen capabilities. There are tablets, desktop screen, powerbooks, laptops, and mobile phones that all work brilliantly with the software.

Chief among them is Microsoft's own Surface tablet. I spent a few minutes with the Surface and found it to be responsive, fast, and a rewarding way to use Windows 8.

But this column isn't a review of Windows 8 or the devices you can run it on. Maybe I'll do that later.

This is about Microsoft's attempt to once again launch a Windows operating system and once again tell us it's "the one" to own.

Windows XP, Vista, and 7 all had their strong points. Really, they did, or still do, I guess. Microsoft is now saying that Windows 8 is the operating system to have on all your devices.

Your mobile phone, tablet, and PC can now communicate with each other similar to what Apple fans can do with their iEverything devices.

This operating system is the real deal. It's gorgeous, vibrant, dynamic, and filled with hidden gems that make the entire experience far, far, better than what any of the Windows prior have provided.

It's not even close.

What Microsoft has to do, though, is to convince you all that it's worth upgrading your operating system, or buying hardware that makes the software sing, or purchasing cell phones specifically for Windows.

That will require that the company hold its water a little longer than it has with previous operating systems. I mean, there are people who haven't even seen Windows 7 yet. Windows Vista can still be found out there in the wild and I think XP is still installing for some people.

Microsoft has something special here, however. It's a great mix of new and old that could prove enticing for a userbase that is probably fatigued by operating system releases.

This rebranding of Microsoft is underway. Take a look if you haven't already. You might be surprised by what you find and where you find it.

First, the newest Call of Duty is out and has sold an obscene amount of copies. Second, the "Video Game Awards" show is almost upon us with a promise of honoring the titles played this year while featuring some of those to be played next year.

The VGAs will air December 7th on Spike TV at 9 p.m. ET. The live broadcast will be global and mark the 10 year anniversary of the show. That includes broadcasting live over Xbox Live, Spike.com and GameTrailers.com.

It will be hosted again by Samuel L. Jackson but will feature appearances from previous hosts, including Jack Black and Neil Patrick Harris.

In 10 years, the show has grown into a video game celebration complete with industry premieres and a few Hollywood moments. It has most recently evolved into a healthy dose of gaming news and awards.

“So the format now is really more about content,” said Casey Patterson, executive producer of the "VGAs" and executive vice president for Viacom Entertainment Group. “It's less about the red carpet, less about what you're wearing.”

This year Patterson said that content will include 10 video game premieres and plenty of gaming news to go around. Included on the list of video premieres includes more information on The Last of Us and Gears of War: Judgment.

Geoff Keighley, a well-known video game journalist who is executive-in-charge of publisher relations for the show, said there are also plans to unveil titles for gamers to look forward to.

The VGAs has done that with several games in the past. Last year's show announced The Last of Us with a trailer that went on to create a buzz well into the current year.

“I think we're known for breaking big news inside the show and we definitely have a couple of games which nobody knows about and they're going to be a big surprises when we unveil them," Keighley said.

The show will balance promoting next year's games with the mission of recognizing the efforts behind the best games of this year.

The nominees were selected by a large council of editors and writers from various major gaming outlets. For Game of the Year, for example, the panel picked Assassin's Creed III, The Walking Dead, Journey, Mass Effect 3, and Dishonored.

It's a mix of blockbuster titles, surprise hits, and games from smaller developers.

“This year we've finally reached a nice equilibrium where we've got those smaller games,” he said. “You've got the Oscars where the nominees for best picture are not necessarily the highest grossing every year.”

The show more than 20 categories that covers every aspect of video games. One thing the show will have more of this year, Keighley and Patterson said, is fan interaction.

Gamers are a vocal bunch. They take to social media with passion and criticism during the VGAs and provide and instant snapshot of gamer reaction to what's going on in the show.

The show will be waiting for them this year, Patterson said. In addition to increased social media interaction, the show will provide interactive polls and content throw Xbox Live.

Patterson and Keighley said the goal with this year's show is to have a lively conversation during the broadcast.

“That is the single most important element to realize when you're doing this show,” Patterson said. "Gamers interact with their content. They feel more invested and entitled and they definitely are very vocal in real time about what's working and what's not working.”

Bethesda Softworks today announced that Dishonored will be getting DLC in December for all three gaming platforms.

The "Dishonored:Dunwall City Trials" will release on December 11 and will include 10 challenge maps. The maps will "test and track your combat, stealth and mobility skills," according to a press release.

The pack will cost $4.99 on the PlayStation 3 and the PC and 400 Microsoft Points on the Xbox 360. It will also bring a new set of achievements and trophies, depending on your console, and global leaderboards.

Dishonored was released earlier this year to critical and fan praise for its combat and options when it comes to clearing levels. The first-personal game allows you room to sneak past enemies but gives you some really amazing ways to kill them if you choose that path.

I spent most of this year gaming on my PC. That's a big deal if you know me because I am first and foremost a console gamer.

I'm also a bit impetuous. I like to go off on gaming adventures and see where I wake up.

This year, I opened my eyes to three games I wouldn't otherwise play and one realization I wouldn't otherwise had discovered. I was a guildie, a thief, a Sims, and a graphics elitist.

Give me a moment to tell you about how I grew a little as a gamer and how you might be able to as well.

The year started for me just as the previous one ended, slumped over my desktop PC obsessing over raids and PVP in Star Wars: The Old Republic.

That game turned me into an MMO player after I spent years making fun of World of Warcraft players and their sense of superiority. I became a guild master and a raid leader. I ignored my consoles.

It was a glorious time filled with downed bosses, loot whoring, and theory-crafting.

Then it got a little stale and I moved on to Guild Wars 2, another PC exclusive. There I became a thief who traversed one of the more beautiful and lush worlds I've ever seen in gaming.

I crafted armor and took part in dynamic events where random players came together for a cause. We beat back massive monsters and died more times than I care to count.

The game is amazing if you want to lose yourself in great combat and a living universe.

Me being me, I again grew bored. Next up was Borderlands 2, a game I would typically play on my consoles. Playing SWTOR and Guild Wars 2 so much inspired me to pick up a gaming laptop.

The Borderlands 2 release inspired me to really test that laptop out. It proved to be a graphic revelation with options far beyond what my friends on consoles had to choose from.

Those are three gaming experiences I would never have under my belt if not for my PC gaming hiatus. But even playing MMO and drooling over PC graphics can't top what I did next.

The Sims. That's right, I spent days playing The Sims. Specifically, I was playing Sims: The Supernatural. It was at the time the latest in a stream of expansion packs for a game that has one of the longest shelf lives in recent memory. Seasons is the newest pack to be released. I’m playing that now.

So I sat in front of my new laptop and created my Vampire Sim. I could have gone with a werewolf. My Vampire built his own home, got a job as a criminal, built a garden, and set about living a normal life.

Days of playing The Sims as a Vampire with bills, a house, a garden, and a criminal career taught me more than any other of my year of PC gaming.

The Sims is massive. It's more of an artistic canvas that it is a game. You are given a world to mold and bend to your will. It's just fun.

The expansions, such as Supernatural, add depth and features to that canvas. I'm thankful for the time I have spent exploring and creating.

I'm currently back on my consoles burning through games as quickly as I can find them. I'm learning now that consoles are still my first gaming love.

But spending most of a year on my PC with some really great games let me see that branching out a little can sometimes make you a better overall gamer and reshape your views on the industry.

You should try it. Pick a genre, franchise, or platform you've been railing against and give it an honest try.

For me it was MMOs, The Sims, and PC gaming in general. My little trip resulted in some rewarding moments. Good luck with yours.

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